US airlines banned from Israel flights

The Federal Aviation Administration has banned US airlines from flying to and from Israel for at least 24 hours following a Hamas rocket strike near Tel Aviv's main airport.

In a statement, the US government agency said its prohibition applied only to US air carriers, and that "updated instructions" would be issued "as soon as conditions permit." Delta, US Airways and United Airlines had earlier halted flights to and from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport.

The ban took effect early this morning.

The FAA's edict comes as the death toll from the latest round of violence in Gaza tops 600, with the vast majority of casualties on the side of the Palestinians.

Gaza emergency services report many of the Palestinian casualties are civilians, including children.

There have also been 29 Israelis killed since the latest round of fighting began, including two civilians.